Charlie Victor the Cargolux Magazine
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CHARLIE VICTOR THE CARGOLUX MAGAZINE #02 The LCK issue #02 CHARLIE VICTOR The LCK issue MEET RICHARD FORSON, CEO 04 SOLAR IMPULSE 2 08 CHARLIE VICTOR IN ACTION 10 LEAN & GREEN AWARD 12 DISCOVER LCK 15 MEET ALEX WECKER 24 747 TRIBUTE 28 100 YEARS OF BOEING 30 ROUTE MAP 32 WELCOME Welcome to the latest edition of Charlie Victor, our very own magazine designed to keep our clients and staff informed and up-to-date. The dynamism of a successful high season has swept us into the new year and we now look forward to new opportunities. With Valentine’s Day and International Women’s Day on our doorstep, this is the time when we traditionally operate additional flower flights to Europe. Bringing flowers directly to Amsterdam is a clear advantage for our clients – who said romance was dead? Africa, incidentally, remains a focus for Cargolux as we shall be attending the Air Cargo Africa event in February. Designed to explore and strengthen African networking corridors, the event attracts global representatives of the airfreight community and is an effective networking platform. We are also proud to note that we successfully passed our GDP renewal audit, validating our GDP certification and attesting that we fulfill the requirements of the EU directive “Guidelines on Good Distribution Practice of Medicinal Products for Human Use” as well as the WHO guidelines. This is largely thanks to our qualified team of experts who work closely with our customers to develop the highly specialized solutions they require. While we are really looking forward to business in 2017, it is with great fondness that we recall one of last year’s highlights – the safe transport of Solar Impulse 2 from Abu Dhabi to its home in Switzerland. We are proud that the Solar Impulse team once again entrusted Cargolux with this delicate and difficult operation after having used our services previously, in 2013 and 2015. Read more about last year’s operation on page 8 of this issue. I do hope you enjoy the stories and insights we have collected and look forward to receiving any suggestions or comments you might have for future issues. MOA SIGURDARDOTTIR HEAD OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS, CARGOLUX 04 — MEET RICHARD FORSON, CEO Charlie Victor — The LCK issue MEET RICHARD FORSON, CEO Richard Forson up-close THE CEO OF CARGOLUX REFLECTS UPON THE EVOLUTION OF THE FREIGHT INDUSTRY AND SHARES HIS THOUGHTS ON PRESENT DAY CHALLENGES AND THE TRANSFORMATION NECESSARY TO REMAIN SUSTAINABLE. Maison Moderne 05 06 You’ve been our CEO since 1st August. What prompted Were these priorities the main focus you to accept the role? (Much laughter.) I must be of your recent strategy review? These honest, my wife and I gave it much thought and ultimately formed part of the outcome of the review she said, “if that’s what makes you happy, then take it.” It which was to ascertain to what extent our does require a lot of dedication and it’s not unusual to find current business model remains relevant me in the Cargolux office on a Saturday and/or a Sunday in a rapidly changing global environment catching up on the week’s work. It’s not about the title but and, more importantly, what we need to the challenges you are confronted with; the responsibility do to ensure that Cargolux remains a for the airline now falls upon my shoulders and should relevant player in the market we serve. MEET RICHARD FORSON, CEO anything go wrong, my philosophy is that the finger never We will, as an example, focus on a points downwards – but at yourself. complete review of all business processes in our organization to identify those areas As CEO, what are your primary objectives? To position where we can simplify and automate. — st Cargolux for the 21 century. Given the significant changes If you look at everything around you in the industry since the financial crisis, I believe we need today, information and the means of to review the existing business model and, if required, transacting is becoming increasingly change it to ensure Cargolux remains an important and digitalized. That’s how people are relevant player in the industry. We’re all working communicating and conducting business. incredibly hard and have already begun overhauling our The digitalization of information business processes. We’re investing in the simplification represents the future and makes it easier of processes and digitalization of information – to offer to service the needs of our clients. our customers the very latest technology and make it In a digital world, very few things are Charlie Victor — The LCK issue simpler for them to interact with us. impossible to achieve. The 2016 Cargolux peak season not only exceeded 2015, but was the most successful on record in terms of tonnage in block hours. Can you give us some figures? In November, we achieved all-time records in block hours flown, with over 12,000 block hours produced and more than 96,000 chargeable tons – a significant achievement. At this point, it looks as though we managed yet another good performance in December. This is a result of the hard work and dedication of our team, worldwide. Cargolux is the first airline to receive a Lean & Green award. How are you planning to reduce your carbon footprint? By introducing “new and newer” technologies in a wide variety of areas such as the optimiza- tion of flight paths and the reduction of fuel consumption. Have a look at our “Lean, green & proud” article on pages 12 and 13 for information on some exciting initiatives. What other key challenges are you facing? Continued sustainability in the current environment, and I don’t think this is unique to Cargolux. Also dealing with the rapid increase in belly capacity. Therefore the need to act now and not later! You currently fly to an extensive list of destinations and have recently added a weekly flight to Oslo. What other destinations might be of future interest? We are investigating a number of other destinations which interest us. We also maintain a continuous interaction with the ministries of transport, and the civil aviation authorities in numerous countries to assist in the expansion of our air bilaterals (operating rights). That said, the affluent industry of the past has been replaced by one that is extremely volatile in terms of supply and demand. “We’re investing in In your opinion, what’s been Cargolux’s greatest achievement? I believe that it’s continually being one the simplification of of the major players in the global air-freight market with a very strong brand – a real accomplishment when you processes and digital- consider the size of Luxembourg. We are within the top ten ranking of scheduled cargo carriers and are ization of information commonly referred to as the biggest cargo operator in Europe, which would not have been possible without – to offer our custom- our dedicated staff, business partners and customers. ers the very latest What has surprised you most since joining Cargolux? It’s the dedication, passion and loyalty technology and make of our staff. Cargolux started small and now operates 26 747s and has 2,000 employees in its global family, it simpler for them to each willing to go the extra mile for our customers who are, after all, our number one priority. interact with us.” 07 08 SOLAR IMPULSE 2 Solar Impulse taken home SOLAR IMPULSE 2 MAY HAVE INDEPENDENTLY CIRCLED THE GLOBE WITHOUT A SINGLE DROP OF FUEL, BUT IT RELIED ON THE PROVEN SERVICES OF CARGOLUX WHEN IT CAME TO THAT ALL-IMPORTANT TRIP BACK HOME. ack in 2013, Cargolux flew the first Solar 24-meter segments which were stacked Impulse from a small airfield in Payerne, inside the 747F with the help of a Switzerland to the United States and back, removable crane system installed in after a record-breaking solar-powered US the aircraft. The height and length of Bcross-country flight. It was the first landing of a Solar Impulse were at maximum loading Boeing 747 on the short Payerne runway, located on an limit and a ballast cargo in the forward airfield built for military aircraft and not normally lower deck ensured that the center of associated with commercial flights. gravity remained within operational In 2015, Cargolux was again called upon to carry limits. Thanks to the Cargolux Load the bigger and improved Solar Impulse 2 from Control Department, the craft was loaded Switzerland to Abu Dhabi, from where pilots Bertrand and offloaded not only without a scratch Piccard and André Borschberg succeeded in their but also with the setting of a new SOLAR IMPULSE 2 offloading time record in the process. daredevil dream of achieving the first ever round-the- world solar flight. Once back in Abu Dhabi, it fell From the perspective of our Cargolux to our experts to bring the innovative aircraft back pilots, weather is always a critical element to Switzerland. Our charter department was and, while they were blessed with fantastic — heavily involved in the planning and execution visibility on the day, this was not taken of the project and worked closely with the for granted. Weather can be a challenge Solar Impulse team to great effect. in November and the military ground The single-pilot, lightweight aircraft weighs not control team was contacted in advance much more than a car but has a bigger wingspan than to verify how low the 747F could be a Boeing 747. One of the key challenges was how guided to enable a cloud-breaking to accommodate this within a 747F and a 3D CAD procedure if required.